Snow doesn’t derail train show

Published 3:18 pm, Thursday, June 4, 2015

ALTON — For 11 years, Richard Slimick has given the Alton Masonic Lodge a well-revered train show among hardcore hobbyists, but he credits others for giving him the confidence to do it.

“If it wasn’t for my wife, it would not have gone over,” he said. “She did all the leg work. She was our number one.”

Slimick’s wife, Shirley, has assisted with the event each year. Richard Slimick said that she deserved a great amount of credit for it. In its 11th year, the event drew 56 vendors from across the region, as far as Indiana and Chicago. Many braved the snowy weather to return after vending for a few years.

Richard Slimick said he has been a member of the Masonic Order for 50 years and credits the group with helping him overcome a speech impediment and be able to speak in public more confidently. He said that his love for model trains comes from him owning Richard’s Hobby Shop in East Alton. He said he used to repair many of the model trains and still does occasionally. According to Richard Slimick, he repaired anything made through the 1980s but added that he did not “mess with the new stuff.”

Justin Parmley, the Worshipful Master of the Lodge, said that many items brought by the vendors could not be found anywhere else. Some of the trains brought were handmade and entirely unique. A large train set was also on display on the lodge’s stage for attendees of all ages to enjoy.

“Our stage is complete with 10 to 12 fully-functioning tracks with three or four trains running now,” Parmley said. “That’s an annual thing that we do.”

The event ran from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. Saturday. By noon, it had 115 paying guests and an estimated 20 children who came to enjoy the model trains.

“That’s what it’s all about,” Parmley said. “It’s all for the kids.”

Although the weather forced the cancellation of a few vendors, Parmley said the majority arrived on schedule and they were on the right track to see attendance reach the normal amount of 300 to 400 people.